


Plans, Nefarious and Otherwise

by TazzyJan



Series: The Taming of the Shrew [3]
Category: Salvation (TV)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-20 03:00:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11911809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TazzyJan/pseuds/TazzyJan
Summary: Darius and Liam continue to navigate their relationship as Darius works on dealing with the fallout of his abuse at the hands of Harris and Rayburn.Liam finds out it's not as easy being the boss' boyfriend as he thought it would be.





	Plans, Nefarious and Otherwise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Snow_Glory](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snow_Glory/gifts).



Liam came awake slowly. He was spread out in Darius’ big bed lying on his belly, one leg drawn up, leaving an inviting space between them. He only wished Darius was healed enough for that kind of fun. Even as he thought it, he felt long, elegant fingers ghost across his naked back, moving determinedly lower. 

Liam hummed muzzily, still more asleep than awake, as Darius’ fingers reached his ass. It felt good, lying here like this, lazily enjoying each other’s company. Darius didn’t seem to be in any hurry for him to wake up so Liam let sleep drag him back under, content to let his lover amuse himself for the time being.

When Liam came awake the second time he was much more alert. That could have been attributed to the extra sleep, but he thought it had a great deal more to do with the long, slim finger currently sliding in and out of his ass. That Darius had managed to penetrate him without waking him showed the man definitely knew what he was doing. But even exhausted, Liam wouldn’t have been able to sleep through the rough drag of Darius’ finger as the man fucked him with it.

“Mmm, nice and tight,” Darius whispered huskily. “You have done this before, haven’t you?”

“A time or two,” Liam replied. “Not often. At least not from this side of it.”

“You want me to stop?” Darius asked, stilling the finger inside of him.

“No,” Liam said, shaking his head for good measure. “I trust you. If you want to fuck me, Darius, I’m not going to tell you no.”

“You want that?” Darius asked, surprised. From how Liam had been behaving he wouldn’t have thought him to be willing.

“Truthfully?” Liam countered.

“Always truthfully,” Darius replied.

“Truthfully, I don’t normally bottom,” he said. “I don’t normally like it. But I’d be willing to try with you.”

“Liam, we don’t have to do that,” Darius told him. It was the truth, too. He didn’t want him pushing himself into doing something he didn’t enjoy simply for his sake. He was not so selfish a lover as that.

“I want to,” Liam insisted. “I have a feeling it’ll be different with you. And if it’s not then we can decide if we want to do it again or not.”

“If you don’t like it…”

“There are degrees,” Liam tried to explain. “I don’t hate it. Okay, I’ve rarely hated it but I know that won’t happen with you.”

“How can you be sure of that?”

“Because I trust you. And…”

“And?”

“And… it’s you.”

“In that case,” Darius grinned wolfishly and slid his finger back inside the younger man to the hilt making him groan in pleasure. With Liam now awake, he began to move with more purpose, still taking his time, still drawing it out, but pushing in farther, making sure he felt every inch of him he could. 

“Oh yeah,” Liam moan, spreading his legs wider as he ground down against the sheets then pushed back against the finger impaling him. His cock was fully hard now and likely leaving a wet spot beneath him. At the moment, he couldn’t care less as he rode out the pleasure that was slowly building inside him. He wondered for a moment if Darius planned to make him come like this, the thought making him even hotter. 

Darius had to grab his cock and squeeze at Liam’s wanton display. He wished he could spread the man’s legs and fuck him but even if Liam wouldn’t have had a fit about his healing ribs, he didn’t think they were quite ready for that yet. For starters, they had yet to actually discuss any of this in depth. Darius thought they might want to do that rather than simply rushing in headlong and hoping for the best. That didn’t mean he couldn’t make his young lover feel good in the meantime, though. After all, Liam had taken such good care of him these last few days. He deserved some care in return.

Darius had slid his finger free and started to press back in with two when TESS’ voice froze them both. “Darius, your meeting with Grace and Harris is scheduled to being in thirty minutes,” her softly computerized voice rang out sweetly, as if she had not just interrupted the pair in the middle of having sex.

“I hate you,” Liam muttered.

“Me or TESS?” Darius laughed as he gently extricated his fingers.

“Neither,” Liam huffed then rolled over onto his back. He pulled Darius down on top of him, careful not to press too hard on his ribs. “I could never hate you and since TESS is basically an extension of you, I could never hate her either. Besides hating a computer seems kind of petty.”

“You are a wonder, Liam Cole,” Darius said, pressing a quick kiss to his lover’s smiling lips. “Now come on. We’ve got thirty minutes to get dressed and get to the lab before we’re late for our own meeting.”

They had to hurry, but they managed to get to the lab before Grace and Harris arrived. Darius was glad for that. He didn’t want Harris to think he was afraid to face him. Like he had told Grace, time was the one thing they did not have. He was going to have to find a way to work with Harris. It was all a matter of getting his masks back in place. He knew he could do it if he could get past this first meeting. 

Darius felt the pair approaching without having to look up. Liam had gone stiff beside him, so much so that he was all but vibrating with anger. “Easy,” Darius whispered. “It’s only a briefing. We’re just bringing Grace and Harris up to speed on where we are on the project. Nothing more.”

“We could have done that with an email,” Liam groused. 

“Liam…”

“I know,” Liam snapped then sighed. He reached under the table and squeezed Darius’ hand. “I’m sorry. I know we need to do this, that you need to do this. I don’t have to like it, though.”

“No,” Darius agreed, squeezing back. “And I thank you for being here.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Liam told him.

They were interrupted by the arrival of the others and Darius reluctantly took his hand from Liam’s. Leaning back in his chair, he pasted on his most disarming smile. He let his hands come to rest on the arms of the chair, gripping them to try to keep his sudden tension from showing on his face. 

“Thank you for meeting with us,” Harris said somewhat stiffly as he sat down. He noticed that Liam had situated himself so that he was between Darius and anyone else at the table. Still, he made sure to take the chair farthest away, giving both men as much space as the small room allowed.

“Grace said you wanted a status update,” Darius offered, unsure for once how to start the ball rolling but knowing that he had to be the one to do so.

“Uh, yes,” Harris nodded. He hoped focusing on something else, something important, would help Darius find his footing. They may have had their differences, but seeing Darius so ill at ease like this was painful, especially when he knew he was at least partially to blame for it.

Liam tried to force the tenseness from his body as Darius went about updating the pair on the status of the EM Drive. He tried not to glare, but he saw Grace flinch when she looked at him and knew he had been less than successful. He couldn’t help it. This man had tortured Darius, had ordered him waterboarded. Even if Darius hadn’t been his lover he would have been every bit as outraged by what they had done to him.

“Liam?” Darius called, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, sorry,” Liam said, turning his attention to Darius. Without thought, he reached out and took Darius’ hand.

Darius looked at the young man then carefully pulled his hand away. He saw the flash of pain in Liam’s eyes but there was little he could do for it now. Once they were back home he could try to explain but not here, not now. 

Liam felt something inside him go cold at Darius’ subtle rebuff. He supposed he should have seen it coming, but he hadn’t. Darius had given him no indication that he wanted to keep things between them hidden. He wasn’t sure how to take that. He wasn’t sure if he could take that. He had never been anyone’s dirty little secret before. 

He saw Grace start to say something, her eyes filled with a kind of pity that made him want to be sick. “We’re on schedule with the latest round of tests,” he rushed on before she could say anything. “Everything’s going as planned. Barring any new setbacks, we’ll be good to go by the end of the week.”

“Excellent,” Harris said. He had not missed the little drama that had unfolded in front of him but he didn’t comment. He could tell Grace was more than a bit troubled by it, though. He would talk to her later and see if there was any genuine cause for concern. 

“Well, if that’s all then…” Darius said wanting to get their meeting over with so he could explain himself to his lover. He had never been one to explain his actions but the shuttered look that had taken over the younger man’s face made him almost desperate to.

“Actually, there is one other thing,” Harris said somewhat reluctantly.

“Oh?” Darius replied.

“Yes. How are you doing?” Harris asked. He had thought about letting it drop but he could see that Darius was still not quite himself. Grace had told him about the cracked rib. All things considered, Harris thought they got off pretty lucky if that was the only physical ramification the man suffered. 

“Me?” Darius asked. He was as taken aback by the question as he had been the night before when Harris had asked it. 

“Yes,” Harris said, refusing to shy away. “Grace mentioned that your ribs were injured…”

“I’m fine,” Darius said quickly, his instincts telling him not to show weakness to an enemy. He felt Liam go impossibly stiffer at his side and had to fight not to reach out to the man. After pulling away from him only a moment ago, he didn't think that would be taken well.

“It’s okay if you’re not,” Harris said, hoping to show that he wasn’t a threat. He didn’t want to be the bad guy here. He didn’t want Darius to think him that kind of man, that his morals were so unscrupulous that he had to fear for his own safety.

“He said he was fine,” Liam said before Darius could reply. He knew Darius wanted him to stay out of it, but even after pulling away from him Liam was having a difficult time holding his tongue.

“Liam, that’s enough,” Darius said, a hint of bite in his words. It had the desired effect as he flushed and looked away. “And as I said, I’m fine. Now, I'm sure you both have work to do as do we.”

Harris knew a cue to leave when he heard one. He saw Grace hesitate and touched her on the arm. He knew she meant well, but this wasn’t their business. Whatever was going on with these two, they deserved to deal with it in private. 

Darius waited until Grace and Harris had both filed out of the room, the door closing behind them, before turning to his lover. “I’m still your boss, Liam,” he said once they were alone, doing his best to keep the bite out o his words. “And I don’t need a babysitter.”

Liam stiffened at Darius’ words. He had not meant for his actions to be taken that way. He had only tried to hold the man’s hand. What had been so bad about that? Needing some space to think, he muttered something about finishing some calibrations and headed up to his office. He knew it was a bit cowardly, to run away rather than stay and talk this out but Liam had no idea what to even say at this point. He wasn’t at all sure if he could handle being one thing in Darius’ bedroom and another everywhere else. Until he could sort that out, there wasn’t much point in anything else.

Darius watched his lover walk away from him, a feeling of helpless regret pooling in his stomach. He hadn’t meant to upset Liam, but he needed him to understand. He was still the boss. He had a job to do and so did Liam. They had to be able to work together. And he didn’t want their relationship making people think that was the only reason Liam had gotten where he was within Tanz Industries. Darius wanted people to recognize the young man for his brilliance, not for the fact that he was sleeping with the boss. 

As the day wore on, Darius tried to stay focused. He threw himself into the various minutiae that was the daily running of his company, glad for the distraction. As he worked, he couldn’t stop himself from looking for Liam. Even before all of this, it was odd for more than a few hours to go by without them seeing one another, even if simply to touch base. Darius found being apart like this… hurt.

After lunch came and went with still no sign of the younger man, Darius headed for the Treehouse. At least there he wouldn’t be watching for Liam to walk around the corner at any moment. He might even be able to get some work done. 

Meanwhile, Liam sat in his office trying to wrap his head around this most recent turn his life had taken. He had thought he and Darius were starting something. He had not realized it was nothing more than convenient sex for the other man. In hindsight, he supposed he really should have. Darius Tanz didn’t do relationships. Why Liam expected that to change for him, he didn’t know. Now he was left having to decide if this was what he wanted. Well, of course, it wasn’t what he wanted, but was he willing to settle for it? 

Liam sighed and pushed back from his desk, more angry with himself than anything else. Darius had made him no promises. He might have said he wanted to have something more with him but he never said he wanted that something to be public. It was his own fault for expecting as much. He should be grateful for what Darius had offered rather than always pushing for more. 

Realizing another hour had passed, Liam looked toward Darius’ office even though he couldn’t see it from his own. “TESS, how’s Darius doing?” He asked. It was the same question he had asked every hour since he had taken refuge in here. 

“He has retired to the Treehouse,” TESS replied. “Other than that, his status remains unchanged.”

“Thank you, TESS.”

“Do you still wish me to notify you if Harris or Grace breech the perimeter you previously established?”

“Yes. Notify me at once. And don't allow them access to the Treehouse. Not unless Darius specifically tells you to.”

Deciding enough was enough, Darius snatched up his phone. He pressed the icon for Liam before he could stop himself yet again and waited. He had started to tap his foot nervously by the time the phone was finally picked up and for a moment he couldn’t think of what to say.

“Darius?” Liam called somewhat warily.

“Liam,” Darius said with a calm he certainly did not feel. “I have a few figures I need to run by someone. Come to the Treehouse and…”

“I’m still working on those calibrations,” Liam interrupted trying to keep the annoyance from his voice. “Find someone else.” He disconnected the call before Darius could respond and threw his phone down on his desk. How dare the man call him up and summon him like that! Not that Darius hadn’t done that very same thing on numerous occasions. Right now, though, it grated on him in a way that he simply couldn’t tolerate.

Darius stared at his phone. Liam had hung up on him. Worse than that, Liam had told him to find someone else. As if that were possible. All at once the solitude of the Treehouse was too much. It was too quiet, too reminiscent of his all too lonely existence. These last few days had shown him a different kind of life, something other than this silent tomb where only his own footsteps echoed. He found he didn’t want to lose that yet he was afraid he already had.

Going to the bar, he started to pour himself a drink. TESS’ voice alerting him to an incoming message from one of his engineers startled him and he ended up spilling the whiskey down the front of his expensive shirt. Cursing, he slammed the decanter back down and headed for the bathroom, stripping off his sodden clothes as he went.

Darius stepped into the shower, turning the hot water on full blast. Even his high-tech system couldn’t produce hot water in an instant and the first blast of cold water was a shock that made him shiver head to toe. He sucked in a breath as unwanted memories pushed at the edges of his mind and he shook his head. He was not thinking about that. It was over and done with. He refused to allow a couple of hours in a room to define the rest of his life. Or even his immediate future. He was Darius Tanz. He was stronger than this. He grabbed the shampoo off the ledge but fumbled his grip on it and nearly dropped it. In his agitation, he turned his face upward without thinking and the still cold spray hit him full in the face. 

Between one breath and the next, he was back _there_ , choking and gasping as an unrelenting torrent of water was poured over his face, his only protection a thin, green cloth. He felt his lungs tighten in his chest and his legs gave out, his knees slamming painfully into the shower floor as he began to fight to breathe. He could hear his breath wheezing, as if his lungs had closed up in fear of breathing in water again. He reached toward the door to the shower, but he could barely lift his arm, the pain lancing through his side as his injured ribs protested the movement. He only managed to paw at the door before his arm dropped uselessly back to his side, his breathing more labored than ever. He felt a hysterical laugh bubble up within him but had no air to give it voice. Instead, he curled into a ball tucking his head into his thighs. He didn’t even feel the now blistering hot water that rained down on his unprotected back and shoulders. His mind was firmly stuck back in that room where the same three questions ran in an infinite loop and the water never stopped coming.

“Excuse me, Liam,” TESS said, breaking the man out of his thoughts.

Liam blew out a breath and scowled. “Tell Darius I’m still busy, TESS,” he said, not appreciating the man contacting him via TESS to call him to heel.

“Did you no longer wish to know if Darius’ becomes distressed?” TESS asked.

“What?” Liam asked, suddenly worried. “What’s wrong with him?”

“He has become non-responsive in the shower and his heartrate and blood pressure are both significantly elevated.” 

“I’m on my way,” Liam said as he bolted from his office and toward the elevator to the Treehouse, their earlier fight forgotten. He had no idea what could be wrong with Darius. TESS didn’t say he had fallen but that was only one of a hundred things that it could be. Had he done something to aggravate his healing ribs? 

Liam wasn’t sure what he expected to find when he burst through the door and into Darius’ bathroom. The smell of whiskey was strong in the small room and he had to wonder if Darius hadn’t simply gotten drunk and lost his footing. One look at the man through the billowing steam told him that wasn’t the case. Reaching in to shut off the tap, Liam cried out when the scalding water hit the back of his hand and jerked back. With a curse, he looked around for something to cover his hand. He grabbed a washcloth and reached in again, gritting his teeth as he quickly shut the tap off.

With the water now off, the steam dissipated and he was able to see Darius more clearly. The man was hunched down on the floor of the shower, his back was red and angry where the scalding water had beat against it. Liam had no idea if he was hurt anywhere else or not. The first thing he needed to do was get him up off the floor. After that, he could try to figure out if Darius had any new injuries and if they required another trip to the emergency room.

Picking up a towel, Liam crouched down next to the other man and gently draped it over his shoulders. He felt a pang when Darius flinched but told himself the man likely didn’t yet realize who was with him. Remembering the other night, Liam was careful to move slowly unsure exactly where Darius’ head was at the moment. 

“Darius,” he called softly. “It’s me. Liam. I need to get you up off the floor so I can dry you off. Can you help me do that?”

“L-L-Liam?” Darius asked, slowly bringing his head up to look at the younger man. 

“Yeah, it’s me,” Liam said, relieved that Darius recognized him at least.

“I'm sorry,” Darius said as he suddenly fisted his hand in Liam’s shirt. “I’m sorry. Please. I didn’t mean it. Please don’t leave. I don’t want to be alone again.”

“Shh. It’s okay,” Liam said. He pulled Darius forward and into his arms careful not to put too much pressure on his back. He just held him, letting his presence calm him, telling him over and over that it was okay, that he wasn’t going anywhere, that he wouldn’t be alone again. 

It took some time but Liam managed to get Darius up and into the other room. He didn’t try to get him dressed, merely dried him off as best he could and helped him into bed, easing him down onto his stomach. He bit down on a curse when he saw the state of Darius’ knees. They would be black and blue come morning but he didn’t think anything was broken. Once Darius was comfortable, Liam slipped into the bathroom, rifling through the drawers until he found a bottle of aloe. By the time he returned, Darius had grown tense, his head turned toward the bathroom as if in search of him.

“I’m here,” Liam said as he returned to him. “I just wanted to get something for you back. I’m going to put this on you now. Okay?”

Darius didn’t reply. Instead, he turned his head so that he was facing Liam again. He didn’t much care what the younger man did as long as he didn’t leave. In the back of his mind he knew that he needed to get himself under control that he was being pathetic, but every time Liam moved away from him, memories of water and choking and being strapped down came rushing back and Darius found that he was as helpless against them as he had been in that room. Only Liam’s presence kept them at bay, yet he knew he could not count on that forever. After all, he had told the man just that day that he didn’t need a babysitter.

“Whatever it is you’re thinking, you need to stop,” Liam said as he poured the aloe into his hands and began to gently rub it into Darius’ back. Thankfully, the skin wasn’t blistered, but Liam could feel the heat coming off of it and knew it had been a near thing. Had he been under the water any longer and it likely would have. “I’m here and I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

“For how long?” Darius managed to ask, though he was afraid of what the answer might be.

“For as long as you want me to be,” Liam replied calmly. “I told you when we started this that no matter what I would still be your friend. That hasn’t changed, no matter what else might. If you need me, I’m here for you.”

Darius felt some of his fear loosen at Liam’s words. He knew the younger man wasn’t lying. Liam wouldn’t do that. He wasn’t sure he liked what all his words implied but he would deal with that later. For now, it was enough that Liam was here with him. Closing his eyes, he let the feel of the man’s hands ease away the tension in his body and slowly lull him into an exhausted sleep.

Liam didn’t stop what he was doing until he was sure Darius was good and asleep. Carefully, he rose from the bed mindful not to wake him. He pulled the sheet across him, letting it fall loosely over his back. With Darius safely tucked in, Liam pulled a chair up next to the bed and made himself comfortable. It was going to be a long night.

Darius came awake with a groan, the sound enough to pull Liam from the light doze he had slipped into. He was awake and leaning close to him before Darius was even fully aware and for a moment he wondered how disturbed his sleep must have been for the other man to remain so diligent. 

“Hey,” Liam said softly when Darius only looked at him.

“You stayed,” he said. It was the first thing that came to mind, the only thing really. The only thing that mattered at least.

“I told you I would,” Liam replied patiently. He still didn’t know what had happened yesterday to lead to Darius ending up huddled in the floor of his shower. Even now, he wasn’t sure the man was ready to talk about it. That was okay. Liam could be patient when he needed to be. 

“I’m sorry,” Darius said, suddenly ashamed of once again appearing so weak in front of him. No wonder Liam acted the way he did. Darius certainly hadn’t behaved like a man who could look after himself.

“Stop that. You have nothing to apologize for. I told you last night, I’m still your friend, Darius. If you need me, I’m here for you.”

“My friend,” Darius repeated, swallowing against the sudden thickness in his throat as he rolled over onto his side. He didn’t want Liam to be his friend. Well, he did, but that wasn’t all he wanted Liam to be. It looked like that was all he was going to get, though. 

“Yes,” Liam said firmly. “Whatever else I am, that… that remains to be seen, I guess.”

“I really fucked this up, didn’t I?”

Liam sighed. He didn’t want to get into this right now. He didn’t think Darius was in any shape to. That was part of the problem, though, wasn’t it? Him, deciding what Darius was and wasn’t ready for. He didn’t have the right to make those kinds of decisions for the man. Darius had made that much abundantly clear.

“Right,” Darius said when Liam didn’t say anything. “Why are you even here, Liam?”

“Because despite you being a colossal prick, I happen to care about you,” Liam replied irritably.

“As a friend,” Darius shot back.

“Yeah well, I’ve never been anyone’s bit on the side before. Excuse me if I don’t exactly know how to act. I didn’t know this was just a casual fuck for you, Darius.”

“Why would you expect any different from a prick like me? I just use people. Right? I don’t care about anyone. I don’t have feelings. I don’t lo- Never mind. Why don’t you go find Jillian. I’m sure she’d…“

Liam didn’t know where his sudden, blinding anger came from but he found himself surging forward out of the chair and onto the bed before he could stop himself. Darius had started to draw back and Liam shoved him the rest of the way over, ignoring the hiss of discomfort he gave when his back pressed against the sheets.

“Shut. Your. Mouth,” Liam snarled angrily as he fisted one hand in Darius’ hair and jerked his head back hard. He was so angry he was shaking with it. Damn Darius and his pompous, self-righteous attitude. He wasn’t the only one with feelings and he was getting a little tired of having his played with.

“Liam?” Darius gasped, suddenly unsure. After their misunderstanding yesterday and then what must have been a flashback in the shower, he still felt off balance. He wasn’t afraid of Liam. He knew he would never do anything to actually harm him. Yet at the same time he had no idea what to say to him to keep him from walking away again. It seemed everything he did say only ended up fueling the younger man’s anger. 

“I thought I told you to shut your mouth,” Liam growled. He pulled Darius’ head back even farther for good measure, making the threat clear. They both knew that if Darius wanted him off of him all he had to do was say the word. Liam had a pretty good idea that Darius wouldn’t, though. 

“Ah, yes. Sorry. I just…”

“Five words or less. Just what?” Liam snapped.

“I’m sorry. Please don’t go.”

“Oh I’m not going anywhere,” Liam told him, smiling sharply. “You wanted a casual fuck, fine. I can do that.”

“That isn’t…”

“Shut it,” Liam barked.

Darius closed his mouth with an audible snap. He wanted so badly to tell the man that he didn’t want that. He had never wanted that. Not with him. Liam had only given him the five words, though, and there was no way he could have gotten that out so he had settled for begging the man to stay and hoping at some point he would get a chance to make his case. 

“Better,” Liam said. Keeping his hand fisted in Darius’ hair, he pulled the sheet back and off revealing the man completely. “I knew putting you to bed naked last night was a good idea.”

Darius flushed at Liam’s unabashed scrutiny. He had never been body shy, not as an adult, but Liam’s appraising stare was different. It wasn’t exactly predatory, but it spoke of an inevitability, of a sense of _ownership_ , that Darius was unaccustomed to. Or rather, unaccustomed to desiring. It made want pool heavy and hot in his belly and he had to fight not to moan from the way the man was looking at him alone.

Eying him up and down, Liam didn’t miss the sudden shift in the man spread out on the bed before him. “You want it so bad, don’t you?” he chuckled, giving his hair a quick tug just to see the heat flare in Darius’ eyes again. “I bet you’d let me fuck you right here. Let me spread your legs and shove my cock inside you. Fuck you until my come was running out of your sore little hole. Bet you’d even let me fuck you bare, wouldn’t you? Answer me, Darius. Would you let me do that? Would you let me fuck you bare?”

“Yes,” Darius groaned, his eyes moving from Liam’s face to stare up at the ceiling. He could feel his cock responding, growing hard at the thought of Liam taking him, of Liam fucking him. He wanted that. Even if he never had it again, he wanted the memory of Liam.

Liam frowned when he saw Darius look away from him. The way the man resolutely fixed his eyes on the ceiling was like a bucket of cold water, setting off a host of warning bells. What the hell was he doing? Darius had obviously been through a trauma of some sort last night and here he was about to visit another one on the man. Still, Liam didn’t pull away, Darius’ earlier words ringing in his ears. He had given the man five words and in those words all Darius had used them for was to ask him not to leave.

Swallowing somewhat nervously, Liam eased up on the grip he had on Darius’ hair. He didn’t release him, though, knowing he needed the contact. Instead, he kept his hand in place and began to carefully move over the man until he was lying beside him. He pressed the entire front of his body along Darius’ side, wanting him to feel as much of him as he could. He wasn’t surprised when he felt him stiffen at the unexpected move. 

“It’s okay,” Liam said as he let his hand come to rest on Darius’ bare stomach. He ignored the man’s half-hard cock. Darius was in no frame of mind to give anything even close to consent at the moment. He should have known that before he all but attacked the man in his own bed. 

“Liam?”

“You sure know how to push my buttons, you know that?” Liam said, keeping his voice as even as he could. “I really care about you, Darius and to know that it’s just fun and games for you… But that’s not your problem, it’s mine.”

Darius started to shake his head at that but Liam tightened his hand in his hair slightly, stopping him. “No,” he said softly. “My expectations aren’t your responsibility. You made it clear that you don’t want any of… of this outside of here. I don’t like it, but I don't like a lot of things in life. I certainly don’t like finding you huddled in the floor of your shower. You scared the crap out of me. If TESS hadn’t alerted me…”

“TESS called you?” Darius asked, surprised that his AI had called Liam of all people.

“Yeah. I’d been checking on you pretty regularly all day,” he admitted. “Nothing stalker-ish. I just wanted to make sure you were okay and that Harris wasn’t giving you any grief. I know you didn’t really want me to…”

“You were checking on me?”

“Yeah. I’ll apologize if you want me to. I know I probably shouldn’t have.”

“No,” Darius said quickly. He didn’t know what to make of that. At this point, he wasn’t quite sure what to make of anything. Five minutes ago, he had been certain he was about to be fucked by the younger man. Fucked and quite likely left. Now, he had no idea what to think.

“Darius?”

“You can fuck me if you want,” Darius offered, unsure what else to say.

“No,” Liam said gently. “I don’t want that. Not now. I don’t really think you’re up to it after last night and I’m still a little angry. I don’t want it to be like that between us, no matter how casual you want to keep things.”

“I don’t,” Darius said in a rush. He needed to explain this, to make Liam understand. He couldn’t handle hearing him say that again. He couldn’t stand the thought of Liam believing that all he wanted from him was a fling.

“You don’t what?” Liam asked.

“I don’t want it to be casual,” Darius explained. “I don’t want a fling or a one night stand. I don’t want you to be a secret.”

“You didn’t seem too keen on anyone knowing yesterday,” Liam pointed out.

“It wasn’t that.”

“Then what was it?”

“I can’t be weak,” Darius said.

“Who said you were weak?”

“I can’t appear weak,” Darius amended. “Especially to Harris. And I don’t want people to think that you… well…”

“That I what?”

“That the only reason you’re where you are is because you’re sleeping with me,” Darius told him.

“Okay, first of all, you couldn’t appear weak if you tried and anyone who mistakes you for weak is underestimating you to a dangerous degree. Second, I don’t care what anyone thinks about me other than you. You believe in me. That’s more than enough.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have acted like that yesterday. I am still your boss, but I didn’t need to handle it like that.”

“I’m sorry, too. Guess we should have had this conversation sooner rather than later. And I’m sorry I got so rough with you a few minutes ago. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“I knew you wouldn’t hurt me.” He meant it. No matter how off he still felt, or how angry the other man was, he knew he was ultimately safe with him.

“You weren't exactly yourself, Darius,” Liam said, refusing to allow Darius to excuse his behavior out of hand. “You still aren’t. Not completely. I had no right taking advantage of that.”

“You didn’t. As soon as you realized I was… compromised, you stopped.”

Liam blew out a breath, relieved that he hadn’t actually harmed Darius in some way. He was also glad they were finally talking. Maybe now he could find out what had left Darius in a heap in his own bathroom.

“Can you tell me what happened now?” Liam asked carefully. He didn’t want to send Darius back there in his head again, not now that he was finally calm. He needed to know what happened, though. He didn't think anything physical had happened, but a phone call from Harris was all it had taken to send Darius into a tailspin the last time. Liam had to wonder if that hadn’t happened again.

Darius felt a fresh wave a shame at Liam’s question. It was no wonder he had jumped so quickly to his defense. He had certainly shown himself to be in need of it. He had told Liam that he couldn’t afford to appear weak, yet that was exactly what he was. 

“Hey,” Liam said, breaking him out of his thoughts. “You know you can tell me anything. You don’t have to be embarrassed or whatever. I’m not going to judge you.”

“Maybe you should,” Darius replied.

“No. No one gets to do that. You’re the only one who knows what you went through in that room. How you deal with it, no one has the right to pass judgement on that.”

“It was after I called you,” Darius began. “I tried to pour myself a drink but I ended up spilling it down my shirt. I went to take a shower. I wasn’t paying attention and got a face full of water. I… I guess I had a flashback. The next thing I remember is you rubbing lotion into my back.”

“TESS called me,” Liam said. “I came over and found you on the floor. The hot water was on full blast. How you didn’t feel that…”

“I wasn’t there,” Darius shrugged. “My mind… it was back in that room.”

“I’m so sorry. If I’d only come over when you called…”

“You mean when I snapped my fingers and expected you to heel?”

“That wasn’t what you did.”

“Wasn’t it?”

“No,” Liam said firmly. “It may have seemed like it to me at the time, but that was only because I was still angry. You were just trying to get me to listen to you and for that you needed us to at least be in the same room. I shouldn’t have been so stubborn.”

“You weren’t the only one. I could have come to you. I was just as stubborn.”

“You said it yourself. You’re still my boss. I… I don't really know how to work that part of it. I’ve never… I mean… Am I supposed to pretend I don’t…”

“No,” Darius interrupted. “No pretending. Not for either of us. We’ll figure it out. We’ll _talk_ it out. But we’re not going to be one thing in here and another out there. I’m not doing that. Not to you and not to me.”

“You know one of these times one of us is actually going to say it,” Liam said, his grin much more shy than usual.

“I know,” Darius said, grinning back. “But not yet.”

“Okay. Not yet.”


End file.
